Tuesday, January 24, 2017

3rd-Time Mama, New-To-Me Baby Gear We'll Be Trying

Did you catch my post from last week, detailing all of the tried and true baby items we loved using with both boys? Today I'm sharing the items I didn't use with the boys that I'm excited to use this time around! So much has changed since the boys were babies. Henry is 6.5 and Charlie is 3.5, so I'm sure you can imagine how different things are! Below is a round up of all of the items we either already have, or are excited to pick up! Super excited. Let me know if there's anything else "new" we should have on our radar too! Enjoy.

I've taked about Ergobaby about a million times on this blog, and for good reason- they are simply the best carriers! I've used the Original, 360, Performance, you name it...but since have Charlie Ergobaby has come out with a brand new product I can't wait to try myself- the Adapt. The Adapt carrier does not need an infant insert, so you can use it from birth (7 pounds) through the toddler years (45 pounds). I've helped countless mamas use this carrier, but never worn my own baby in it, and I can't wait to try it out.

I've used every nursing pillow you can think of- the BreastFriend, Boppy, etc. I actually liked all of them for different reasons, but I am most looking forward to using the Natural Curve pillow by Ergo. I love how there is that curve so baby is turned towards you, which absolutely helps with latch. I've used it with fake babies a dozen times at shows or events, and even with a doll, I've been able to see how the firm pillow and design will be super helpful for nursing in bed or in a chair. I'll keep you posted!

How beautiful is this playgym? One of my favorite things about this one is that it isn't attached to a mat. With both boys I used the standard type of playmat that was fastened to a plush mat. When spit up, or a blown out diaper, or whatever else happens the mat would be out of commission until it was washed and dried...and subsequently the bar and toys were too! I like that you can move this around easily, and put it right on top of whatever surface or blanket you choose and if something happens you can just move it. Plus, it's gorgeous. A win-win. Also- get 15% off here!

I shared a whole post about my DockaTot questions over on Instagram and received so much good feedback! My biggest question was- is the hype surrounding this item for real? I feel like every parent I know has one, but I couldn't figure out what it was, outside of a big pillow. Well silly me, the resounding answer was "YES! You need one!" I learned from about 100 moms (no joke) that it's the best portable baby bed ever, but it also goes beyond a bed. It's a breathable place where baby can safely hang out anywhere in the house, and it's just an overall must-have. I'm really excited for ours to arrive. Get $10 off here!

Bows, bows, and more bows! So many mamas have suggested this brand to me, and I received a few of them at the celebratory baby lunch my girlfriends threw me this past weekend. I don't know much about bows (yet!), but these are so soft and stretchy and seem super comfortable. Can't wait to try them out on Olive girl.

Another baby item I've seen everywhere but we never had with the boys. It seems like a simple solution to help baby bathe safely in the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, wherever! I also like that it goes flat and can be hung to dry. Another thing I'll keep you posted on.

If I had to pick one thing I'm the most excited about, it's this. If you're a long time blog reader you know how much I loved the Snuza and used it with both of the boys. I appreciated the peace of mind so much, but there were definitely things I would have changed about the product. In the time since Charlie was a newborn, Owlet came on the market and is definitely something I couldn't imagine doing without. I'm someone who needs to know my baby is okay in order to sleep myself, so the safety and security this little device will bring us will be priceless.

We gave away a lot of our bigger items when Charlie grew out of them, so one of the big things we need for Olive is an activity center. This one is so cute, and isn't ugly in the least like many products in the same genre! I always hated having big, plastic thing taking up a ton of space and this seems to have a small footprint as well. Have you tried this out? The reviews are great, and this is definitely on our must-get list.

I never used a Moses Basket with either boy but have always admired them. I love their simplicity and beauty, but also their portability. I think baby can never have too many places to sleep anyway, right? ;) I really fell in love with the Plum + Sparrow baskets and can't wait to receive our natural colored one (with a white pom!). As an added bonus, once Olive grows out of the bassinet it will make a perfect baby doll holder and toy for later on in her big-kid room. I love that.

I will be sharing a lot more about Brentwood Home in the next few weeks, but in the meantime I wanted to share how happy I am to have this mattress for baby Olive. The 2-stage Wildfern is filled with a firm organic coconut-husk layer for infants, with a plush organic latex layer on the other side for your growing toddler so you can flip it over when they're ready. There's a lot more to this amazing mattress I will talk about in some upcoming posts (plus a giveaway!), but I'll leave this here for now and just say- we're excited.

More bows! I'm learning you can never have enough. I've come across so many different bow companies on Instagram (and I'm looking forward to trying them all!) but I love these in particular due to the small size. They look very comfortable too.

I've had the opportunity to work with this brand closely and the first thing I love about them is that they are created, owned, and run by the sweetest people in the world. The second thing is the amazing quality of their products. If you haven't had a chance to feel one of their swaddle blankets or snuggle blankets you are missing out! I'm very excited to use these items with Olive, and they also have a huge line of anything else you might need for baby, from crib sheets to hooded towels. Love it all.

That's it for now but like I mentioned above, please let me know if there's anything else I should have my eye on! And don't forget to check out the first post in this series.

7 comments:

Congrats on the new little addition to be to your family! From personal experience, the DockaTot is AMAZING! My LO loves his own little space and kicks his legs up on both sides of it. I'm sure your baby will love it just as much!

We LOVE our dockatot!! It was a new thing we got for baby #2 and it was awesome for cosleeping and napping around the house. This time around we also got the Baby Bjorn Balance Bouncer and a Baby Ktan wrap. Used them both a lot the first 6 months. Good luck with the last stretch! Can't wait to see baby Olive pictures ♡

Hi! I'd love to get an update on your items listed - Baby #2 (little sister!) is coming in Dec (my son will be 6) and it's been so long since I've done the "baby" thing, there's so many new items out there! Specifically interested in the Ergo...I never was a baby wearer before, but am excited to try it this go round! I've also been curious about the Dockatot, but I do see that you (and many others!) love it!

Danielle, loved your blog for many years (since Henry baby belly!) and now I’m finally pregnant with my first and going back to all your baby gear/prep posts to see what I should invest in! You’ve had me convinced the docatot and ergo 360 we’re going to be two things I will need and happily my neighbor offered to give me her gently used ones! Perfect! But I have a question about the Moses basket. They seem like they’re what’s hot right now but my question is do you really feel like it was very useful? We have an orbit baby stroller system with the bassinet so I’ll probably use that quite a bit to move baby around the house with me while she/he sleeps. Are there other purposes for the Moses you see valuable?? Toy storage after tiny baby stage? Thank you for your continued entertainment and tips!

Hey Megan! Thank you so much for reading! :) I'm so excited to hear you have a little one on the way! So the Moses basket is a TOTAL non-need. We actually only used it like 3x to take photos in! haha! So I would not recommend it. I actually need to post an update to this and share what we loved and didn't love. But yes, no Moses basket if you want my opinion! ;) I also don't see us using it later for any reason because it's so big! I hope this helps- sending you so much love, mama!xoxoxo